David Talbot

[Matthew Koch]

Sorry, to hear this about Mr. Talbot. Noam Chompsky just had something similar happen and is hospitalized currently in Brazil. 

[Bill Simpich]

David Talbot, S.F. author and journalist, suffers stroke that may prevent him from writing again

By Sam Whiting, Reporter June 10, 2024

 

Here's the story in San Francisco Chronicle that provides a little more information on David's situation.   The story is broken up in a couple places,  but it's all here.  Please donate if you can, or spread the word about his books!

 

 

 

San Francisco author David Talbot suffered a stroke that may prevent him from writing again. 

 

David Talbot, the author of “Season of the Witch,” a celebrated account of San Francisco during the murderous mid-20th century, suffered a severe stroke on June 2 that left him immobilized. 

The medical emergency was confirmed by Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, a close friend of Talbot.  Talbot, 72, a visionary journalist who was also a founder of the news and culture website Salon, suffered the stroke while he and his wife, Camille Peri, are in the process of moving out of their home of 30 years, according to a GoFundme posting by close friend Connie Mathiessen. Talbot also worked for the Chronicle as a columnist.

“It’s unclear if, or how much, David will recover at this time,” read Mathiessen’s post. “He currently struggles to form words, which, for a writer and speaker of David’s stature, has been incredibly hard for him and painful for all of us to see.”

Talbot’s sons are seeking permanent housing for their parents if and when their father is able to leave the hospital.

“David was looking forward to beginning to slow down, to write less out of necessity for once, and to begin to write simply for pleasure,” read the post. “This event has thrown a wrench into that plan, but we hope that through his unrelenting will, and through the generous support of you all, that he’ll be able to recover to a point where he can indeed finally rest.”

Talbot suffered a stroke seven years ago but had mostly recovered, said his son, Joe Talbot. While still walking with the aid of a cane, he had been in the process of moving out of his Bernal Heights home on the the day of his latest stroke, which happened while he was at home in the evening. Paramedics came and he was rushed to the hospital, where he remained Monday. 

“The stroke happened at the worst possible time,” said Joe Talbot, who lives in Los Angeles. “My parents are having to move for financial reasons. The place that they were hoping to move into is no longer possible because of what’s happened to our dad. They can’t stay where they are, so that’s why we are looking at long-term housing.”

Raised in Los Angeles, Talbot is the son of famous character actor Lyle Talbot, a film and stage actor who moved into television with a recurring role as the next door neighbor on “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.” David went to college at UC Santa Cruz and moved to San Francisco in the early 1970s. As an editor at the San Francisco Examiner, Talbot founded Salon in 1995.  

Talbot moved on to nonfiction books. with “Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years,” published in 2007. “Season of the Witch: Enchantment, Terror and Deliverance in the City of Love” was published in 2012. The book is an in-depth look into the major news stories that gripped the city, ranging from the Summer of Love through Altamont and the Zodiac and Zebra killings, then to the Jonestown massacre and the murders of George Moscone and Harvey Milk, and on up through the AIDS pandemic and the San Francisco 49ers dynasty of the 1980s.

For many years, Talbot kept an office in the Sentinel Building, the picturesque North Beach flatiron building owned by Francis Ford Coppola, and has been active in progressive political causes. 

“David has been a strong rallying voice for San Francisco’s neighborhoods and the city’s progressives values for decades, as well as a champion for investing in San Francisco arts and culture,” said Peskin. “Thanks to the good care that he’s receiving at the hospital right now, his loved ones do feel that his spirit is strong.” 

Joe Talbot has been at his dad’s bedside along with Joe’s younger brother Nat, Peri, and Talbot’s three siblings. Talbot has begun speech therapy. 

“My dad has not lost his spirit and he has been expressing his love for us in the limited ways that he can,” said Joe. “We believe he understands what we have been saying for the most part, which is wonderful.”    

Reach Sam Whiting: swhiting@sfchronicle.com

[James DiEugenio]

Hopefully we can get this up to a hundred grand.

 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-david-talbot-after-a-massive-stroke?lang=en_US&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

Edited June 13 by James DiEugenio

[Mike Aitken]

On 6/10/2024 at 4:32 PM, James DiEugenio said:

Thanks Andrew.

Here is the Go Fund Me page to help a really good guy.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-david-talbot-after-a-massive-stroke?lang=en_US&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

Thanks for sharing this, Jim.  David Talbot is an amazing writer and person, and I hope that he and his family get all of the support and help that they need at this time.

[James DiEugenio]

The Go Fund me page is at about 93,000.

That is pretty good and hopefully it will get up to a 100 K soon.

Besides his books, Brothers and The Devils Chessboard,  what Talbot did with Salon was really remarkable.

At its peak, he had 100,000 subscribers which is amazing. And he published people like Lisa Pease.

 

[Sandy Larsen]

Oh no... this is so sad. (I didn't read the thread till just now.) Thankfully the Talbots will be getting  some help through the generosity of David's adoring fans, friends, and followers.

Take care, David. Wishing for the best possible recovery.

 

[Roger Odisio]

7 hours ago, Sandy Larsen said:

Oh no... this is so sad. (I didn't read the thread till just now.) Thankfully the Talbots will be getting  some help through the generosity of David's adoring fans, friends, and followers.

Take care, David. Wishing for the best possible recovery.

 

The fund currently is at 942 donors for $94,470.   That's $100.29 per person!  Exceeding David's goal of $65,000.  It looks like it's going to go over $100,000.  Hope that eases some of the pain David and his family are going through.